Inheritance Fatwa
Question
My mother passed away leaving behind her husband, 1 son and 4 daughters. She had been separated from her husband for over 7 years and lived with her son with no intention of ever going back to him. However, they were not divorced. How would the inheritance be calculated?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
If the husband did not divorce the wife and their marriage was not annulled, she is regarded a wife even if they were living separately. The same applies if she is in ʿiddah (waiting period) following the first or second rajʿī (revocable) divorce.
Accordingly, the inheritance will be distributed according to the following:
Husband: 2/8th (1/4 – 25%)
Son: 2/8th (1/4 – 25%)
Each of the 4 daughters: 1/8th (12.5%)
عن مكحول أن أبا بكر وعمر وعليا وابن مسعود وأبا الدرداء وعبادة بن الصامت وعبد الله بن قيس الأشعري كانوا يقولون في الرجل يطلق امرأته تطليقة أو تطليقتين: إنه أحق بها ما لم تغتسل من حيضتها الثالثة، يرثها وترثه ما دامت في العدة، رواه ابن أبي شيبة (١٨٨٩٩). وقال محمد في الأصل (٤/٣٩٧): والزوج والمرأة يتوارثان ما كانت في العدة إذا كان الطلاق غير بائن وكانا حرين مسلمين. والتطليقة الواحدة والثنتان في ذلك سواء. وكذلك الرجعة في التطليقة والتطليقتين، انتهى
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
26 Jumādā al-Thāniyah 1441 / 20 February 2020
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmad and Mufti Muhammad Tahir